People in Olympia run last-minute errands ahead of weekend's freezing temperatures
People in Olympia run last-minute errands ahead of weekend?s freezing temperatures
Extremely cold temperatures will stick around through the weekend with overnight lows in the teens and daytime highs in the mid 20s.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Record-breaking cold temperatures continue to spread across western Washington. The frigid lows are here to stay for the next several days.
"It’s only going to be a few days. But you never know, last year we had an ice storm which is actually worse than snow," said Maija Zageris, manager at Ace Hardware in Edmonds.
Some people in Olympia spent their Friday running last-minute errands preparing to hunker down for the weekend. Multiple streets in Olympia still had a dusting of snow and ice, causing slick conditions.
"I saw somebody throwing salt out here. So, when I did take my first step, I was like OK. So, side streets will be where I’m at," said Shelby Hultman, layered up during her afternoon walk to a local grocery store.
With freezing temperatures in the forecast, customers at Ralph’s Thriftway did some last-minute shopping to prepare for their weekend indoors.
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"Mostly veggies and fruit, and a little bit of hot tea and honey. Just some warm foods," said Hultman.
"We just like to hunker down and play games, do puzzles, watch movies in front of the fire" said grocery store customer Sarah Wheeler.
For some people, groceries weren’t the only thing on the to-do list. Winterizing a home was also important before temperatures drop.
"We had to go put the things on all the faucets today, you know, before those get frozen," said Wheeler.
"You do not want to go without those and have your pipes freeze," said Sarah Portugal, assistant manager at Ace Hardware in Edmonds.
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Portugal said faucet covers and ice melt were top sellers all week long at her store.
"As soon as those forecasts started coming out, people running in and yeah, definitely, sales have gone up in the last week just based on that," said Portugal.
Thurston County opened three cold weather shelters in Olympia for anyone needing a warm place to stay now through Monday. More information on locations, times and donations are available on the county’s website.
Find a cold-weather shelter near you: